Ypsilon-methoxy-ypsilon-carbanilino-alpha,omega-dicyanopentane

ABSTRACT

Production of carbonyl compounds substituted in the Alpha position and having the formula   WHEREIN R1 is alkyl, aralkyl, phenyl, toluyl, naphthyl, alkoxy or amino; R2 is hydrogen,   A is hydrogen, alkyl, halo or   R6 is hydrogen or methyl; and R11 is alkyl, wherein said compounds are formed by reacting a sulfur ylide having the formula   WHEREIN Y is the radical   AND R9 and R10 are alkyl or phenyl, with a solution containing both an electrophilic agent A1 that is converted into the radical A and a nucleophilic agent B1 that is converted into the radical B; and said carbonyl compounds having the formula   WHEREIN Z is nitrile, carboxyl, or carboxyl esterified with an alkanol.

United States Patent [191' Koenig et al.

[ June28, 1974' [5 'y-METHOXY-y-CARBANILINO-a,w- DICYANOPENTANE ['75] inventors: Horst Koenig; Horst 'Metzger; Reif.

Werner, all of Ludwigshafen/Rhein,

Germany [73] Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft,

Ludwigshafen/Rhein, Germany 22] Filed: on. 2, 1969 21 Appl. No.: 863,770

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 505,229, Oct, 26, 1965,

abandoned.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 H1956 Journeay 260/465 X Primary ExaminerLewis Gotts Assistant Examiner Dolph H. Torrence [571 ABSTRACT Production of carbonyl compounds substituted in the aposition and having the formula wherein R is alkyl, aralkyl, phenyl, toluyl, naphthyl,

alkoxy or amino; is hydrogen,

A is hydrogen, alkyl, halo 01 R5 R5 -dH-( JH-GN;

R is hydrogen or methyl; and R is alkyl, wherein said compounds are formed by reacting a sulfur ylide vin jh o mu a whgreinY is the radical and R and R' are alkyl or phenyl, with a solution containing both an electrophilic agent A that isconvetted into the radical A and a nucleophilic agent B that is converted into the radical B; and said carbonyl compounds haying the formula wherein Z is nitrile, carboxyl, or carboxyl esterified with an alkanol.

l y-METHOXY-rCARBANILINO-ama DICYANOPENTANE The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 505,229, filed Oct. 26, 1965, and now abandoned.

PRODUCTION OF CARBONYL COMPOUNDS SUBSTITUTED IN a-POSITION This invention relates to a process for the production of carbonyl compounds substituted in a-position, in which sulfur ylides are reacted with electrophilic'and nucelophilic substances.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new process for the manufacture of compounds which are substituted in a-position to a carbonyl group. It is another object of the invention to provide a new process for the manufacture of compounds which contain two carbonyl groups in 1,3-position and bear one or 7 two substitu'ents in 2-position. Another object of the invention is the new compounds obtainable by the new process. Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

We have found that these objects are achieved by reacting a sulfur ylide which contains the grouping i? fi whereY is the radical CH3 R =S or :8

Il\ 9.. 9. 1 N B,

R being alkyl or aryl, with an electrophilic reagent A I g and a nucleophilic reagent B or with a compound AB It is assumed that the sulfur ylide first reacts with the electrophile and the resultant intermediate ilk then reacts with the nucleophile to form the desired compound, the sulfur function Y being eliminated.

In the above general formulae, R is an aliphatic, araliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic radical or the group where R andR are hydrogen and R R and R are alkyl, aralkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl radicals; R is hydrogen, an alkyl or aralkyl group, the radical where R has the meaninggiven above, the radical where R is hydrogen or the methyl group and R is an alkyl radical with one to four carbon atoms;

A is hydrogen, alinear alkyl radical, an aralkyl radical, chlorine, bromine, iodine, a nitrile group, the radical where R and R have the meanings given above; B is chlorine, bromine, iodine, hydroxy, sulfhydryl, thiocyano (-SCN), cyanato, nitro, azido, the radical XR where X, is oxygen, sulfur or the radical SO;, and R is alkyl, aryl, aralkyl and, if X is oxygen or sulfur, may also be the acyl radical -c-Ri where R is linear alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, phenyl or toluyl, or the group where R and R have the meanings given above; and Y is the radical or the radical where R and R are linear alkyl groups or phenyl radicals. i

The sulfur ylides I which are used as starting materials where Y is the radical V O CHz nates, ketenes, acid chlorides or acid anahydrides on dimethyl-oxo-sulfonium ylides. The sulfur ylides I which are used as starting materials where Y stands for R O Ru and Y, R and R have the meanings given above, which may also be used as starting materials are obtained by reacting, in a molar ratio of l:approx. l, a sulfur ylide of the formula with an a, fl-olefinica'lly unsaturated carboxylic nitrile having the formula oran a,'fl-olefinically unsaturated carboxylic ester having the formula can be prepared for example by the action of .isocyawhere R and R have the meanings given above. It is not necessary for the purposes of the process to separate the said ylides from the mixtures in which theyare obtained in the manufacture. The mixture in which they are obtained may rather be used direct.

In the sulfur ylides which are preferred as starting materials the radical R is alkyl having 1 to 12, preferably one to four carbon atoms, aralkyl having 7 to 10, preferably seven or eight carbon atoms, phenyl, o-, mor p-toluyl or aor B-naphthyl. The said aromatic substituents may further bear 1 or 2 chlorine or bromine atoms or 1 or 2 alkoxy groups with one to four carbon atoms. In the preferred ylides l, R may further represent a 5- or 6-membered ring having 1 or 2 nitrogen atoms, 1 oxygen or sulfur atom or 1 nitrogen and l oxygen or sulfur atom as ring members and if desired bearing an alkyl group with one to four carbon atoms or a phenylradical, the radical where R and R are hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 10', preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having 5 to 12, preferably six to eight carbon atoms, aralkyl having 7 to 10, preferably seven to eight carbon atoms, or phenyl, toluyl or naphthyl. In the preferred ylides l, R may finally represent the radical -OR where R is alkyl having 1 to 12, preferably one to six carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having 5 to 12, preferably six to eight carbon atoms, aralkyl having 7 to 10, preferably seven or eight carbon atoms, or the phenyl, 0-, mor pchlorophenyl, toluyl or naphthyl radical.

In the sulfur ylides l which are preferred as starting materials the radical R is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 10, preferably one to four carbon atoms, aralkyl having 7 to 10, preferably seven or eight carbon atoms, the rad cal,

where R has the meanings just mentioned, the radical In the sulfur ylides l which are preferred as starting materials Y is the radical where R and R are linear alkyl having 1 to 10, preferably one to four carbon atoms or phenyl radicals.

The following sulfur ylides are examples of suitable starting materials:

benzoyl-dimethyl-oxo-sulfonium methylide, p-chloro-benzoyl-dimethyl-oxo-sulfonium methylide,

phenyl-carboxyl-dimethyl-oi o-sulfonium methylide,

I benzyl-carboxyl-dimethyl-oxo-sulfonium methylide, ,B-naphthyl-carboxyldimethyl-oxo-sulfonium methylide, cyclohexyl-carboxyl-dimethyl-oxo-sulfonium methylide or n-decyl-carboxyl-dimethyl-oxo-sulfonium methylide.

Other sulfur ylides suitable as starting materials include: N-phenyl-carbamoyl-dimethyl-sulfonium methylide,

N-cyclohexyl-carbamoyl-dimethyl-sulfonium methy-' 6 bis-(N-n-octyl-carbamoyl)-dimethyl-sulfonium methylide, bis-(N-phenyl-carbamoyl)-dimethyl-sulfonium methylide, bis-(N-cyclohexyl-carbamoyl)-dimethyl-sulfonium methylide, ethyl-carboxyl-dimethyl-sulfonium methylide,

N-phenylcarbamoyl-dimethyl-siulfonium methylide,

methyl-(N-propyl-carbamoyl)-dimethyl-sulfonium methylide,

phenyl-ethyl-acetyl-dimethyl-sulfonium methylide, B-cyanoethyl-N-phenyl-carbamoyl-dimethylsulfonium methylide and ,B-carbethoxy-ethyl-acety1-dimethyl-sulfonium methylide. V The following sulfonium ylides are also suitable as starting materials:

S-phenyl-S-methyl-benzoyl-sulfonium methylide, S,S-di-n-butyl-N phenyl-carbamoyl-sulfonium methylide, S,S-diphenyl-acetyl-sulfonium methylide, S,S-dimethyl-N,N-dimethyl-carbamoyl methylide, S,S-dimethyl-carboethoxy-sulfonium methylide, S,S-dimethyl-acetyl-carbobutoxy methylide, S-phenylS-ethyl-N-phenyl-carbamoyl methylide and S,S-diethyl-bis-( N-cyclohexyl-carbamoyl )-sulfonium methylide.

Preferred electrophiles A are: elementary chlorine,

bromine and iodine, the interhalogcn compounds io-' dine chloride, iodine bromide and bromine chloride,

the pseudohalogens cyanogen, cyanogen chloride and cyanogen bromide, acids of boron, phosphorus, sulfur and the halogens which contain protons and have a pK-value of up to 6, e.g., halogen hydracids such as hydrofluoride, hydrochloride, hydrobromide or hydriodide, perchloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or ,fluoboric acid, sulfonic acids such as benzenesulfonic acid or toluenesulfonic acids, methanesulfonic acid, carboxylic acids, e.g., lower fatty acids, such as formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid or butyric acid, halogen fatty acids such as mono-, diand trifluoroacetic acid, mono-, diand trichloroacetic acid and mono-, diand tribromoacetic acid, unsubstituted benzoic acid or benzoic acid bearing 1 to 3 chlorine atoms or a nitro group as substituents, and oxalic acid. Other preferred electrophiles A are alkylating and aralkylating agents such as alkyl and aralkyl chlorides, alkyl and aralkyl bromides, alkyl and aralkyl iodides and alkyl sulfates, and also benzene alkyl sulfonates and toluene alkyl sulfonates, the said alkylating agents having linear alkyl groups with one to ten carbon atoms and the said aralkylating agents having aralkyl radicals with 7 to 12, preferably seven to ten carbon atoms. Examples of suitable alkylating and aralkylating agents are methyl chloride, ethyl bromide, butyl iodide, decyl iodide, dimethyl sul fate, diethyl sulfate, butyl benzene sulfonate octyl ptoluene sulfonate, benzyl chloride or 'y-phenylpropyl bromide. Other preferred electrophiles are a, B-olefinically unsaturated carboxylic nitriles and esters having the formula a 7 where R is hydrogen or the methyl radical, Z is the nitrile group or the group where X is oxygen, sulfur or the -SO radical and R is alkyl having 1 to 12, preferably one to four carbon atoms, aryl, preferably phenyl, or aralkyl having 7 to 12, preferably seven to ten carbon atoms. If X is oxygen or sulfur, then R may also be an acyl radical where R is linear alkyl having I to 10, preferably one to four carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having five to eight carbon atoms, aralkyl having 7 to 12, preferably seven to ten carbon atoms or the phenyl or toluyl radical.

Instead of the nucleophiles of the formula the corresponding alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium compounds may be used. Furthermore, hydrogen' sulfide, ammonia or amines of the formula where R is hydrogen, phenyl or naphthyl and R and R. are alkyl having I to l0, preferably one to four carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having 5 to 12, preferably six to eight carbon atoms, or aralkyl having 7 to 10, preferably seven or eight carbon atoms, are suitable nucleophiles. Thus for example the following nucleophiles may be used: lithium chloride, sodium bromide, potassium iodide, calcium hydroxide, calcium cyanate, potassium cyanide, magnesium thiocyanate, sodium azide, barium nitrite, ammonium chloride, tetramethylammonium iodide, potassium sulfide, sodium hydrogen sulfide, methanol, butanol, octanol, benzyl alcohol, phenol, thiophenol, ethyl mercaptan, benzyl sulfide, benzenesulfinic acid, amylsulfinic acid, thioacetic acid,

formic acid, propionic acid, benzoic acid, cyclohexanecarboxylic acids, phenylacetic aicd, p-toluic acid,

sodium acetate, lithium thio phenolate, tetramethylammonium benzoate, sodium butylate, ammonium formate, ammonia, dimethylamine, diethylamine, aniline, methylaniline, benzylamine, cyclopentylamine, cyclooctylamine and p-toluidine. W

It is also possible to use compounds of the type AB which are capable of reacting both as electrophiles and as nucleophiles. Such substances are the hydracids of chlorine, bromine and iodine, elementary chlorine, bromine and iodine, the said alkyl halides, interhalogen compounds and pseudohalogens. It will be understood that some compounds may react both as electrophiles and as compounds of the type AB. For example, hydrogen chloride is capable of acting as a compound of the AB type, its proton being present in the reaction product as hydrogen atom A and its chloride ion as chlorine atom B. On the other hand, hydrogen chloride may act merely as an electrophile, namely when a nucleophile is present which reacts more readily or more quickly with the ylide l than the chloride ion of hydrogen chloride. This is the case for example when reacting an ylide l with hydrogen chloride and aniline (cf. Example 4). Other examples are elementary halogens which either supply the substituents A and B in the reaction prod ucts or merely participate witha halogen cation as electrophile which yields a halogen atom A in the reaction product, whereas substituent B is supplied by a different nucleophile.

The process according to this invention is preferably carried out in the presence of solvents which are inert under the reaction conditions. Suitable solventsinclude hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, the xylenes, cyclohexane or heptane, chlorinated hydrocarbons such as carbon tetrachloride, dichlorethylene, chloroform or chlorobenzene, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, dibutyl ether or anisol, N,N-disubstituted carboxylic amides such as N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-diethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidonc or N- butylpyrrolidone, water, dimethyl sulfoxide, tetramethylene sulfone or acetonitrile. If reactants are used which are liquid under the reaction conditions, these may act as solvents. For example the said alcohols may be used both as solyentsand as reactants.

To carry out the process according to the present invention it is possible to first add the electrophile and then the nucleophile to a solution or suspension of the sulfur ylide. lt is also possible however to add the ylide to the electrophile and then to introduce the nucleophile, either as such or in solution or to mix the ylide with a compound of the type AB. Another possibility is to produce the ylide in the presence of the other reactants, so that the ylide formed reacts in situ. The process may be carried out within a broad range of temperatures, as a rule between 0 and 150C, preferably between 25 and C. It is expedient to stir the reaction mixture. If relatively volatile substances are to be reacted at temperatures above their boiling points it is expedient to use superatmospheric pressure, for example pressures between i and 50 atmospheres. The process may be carried out either continuously orbatchwise. Isolation of the compounds obtainable by the process may be effected, for example, by fractionation, by extraction with a suitable solvent or, if the reactants crystallize out from the reaction mixture or are separated by the addition of a precipitant, by filtration or centrifuging.

reacting a sulfur ylide I where the radical R is R6 R 0 R11.

with an a, B-olefinically unsaturated carboxylic nitrile or carboxylic ester having the formula where R and R" have the meanings given above at temperatures which are preferably between 0 and 70C in the presence of an alcohol having the formula Rll where R has the meanings given above, a compound having the general formula is obtained where R, R and R have the meanings given above and Z isthe nitrile group or the group where the radicals R, R R and Z have the preferred meanings mentioned above are new. By alkaline or acid hydrolysis of the nitrile or carboxylic ester groups referred to as Z at temperatures between for example 20 and 100C dicarboxylic acids are obtained, and tricarboxylic acids are obtained if R is the radical The dicarboxylic acids may be condensed analogously to the reaction of adipic acid to polyamides. By reaction with glycols at temperatures of about 200 to 250C valuable linear polyesters are obtained. The tricarboxylic acids are valuable starting materials for the manufacture of alkyd resins (branched polyesters).

The invention is further illustrated by the following Examples. The parts specified are by weight.

EXAMPLE 1 3.30 parts of dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene malonic dianilide is dissolved in 40 parts of chloroform and slowly mixed with a solution of 1.60 parts of bromine in 40 parts of chloroform. After 20 minutes the colorless solution is evaporated to dryness and the residue is dissolved in and reprecipitated from hexane. 3.36 parts of a,a-dibromomalonic dianilide of the melting point 148 to 150C, i.e., percent of the theory, based on dimethylaoxo-sulfurylene malonic dianilide used, is obtained.

EXAMPLE 2 3.08 parts of dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene malonic N,N'-

cyclohexyl diamide and 3.2 parts of bromine are heated under reflux in chloroform. After 10 minutes the solution is evaporated to dryness and the residue is dissolved in and reprecipitated from cyclohexane. 3.80 parts percent of the theory) of a,a-dibromo-N,N-cyclohexylmalonic diamide of the melting point 138C is obtained. The yield is 90 percent of the theory, based on dimethyl-oxosulfurylene malonic acid-N,N"-cyclohexyl diamide used.

EXAMPLE 3 3.30 parts of dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene malonic dianilide and 60 parts of concentrated hydrochloric acid are heated under reflux for 10 minutes. The precipitate ist filtered off by suction and dissolved in and reprecipitated from cyclohexane. 2.83 parts of a-chloromalonic dianilide of the melting point 173 to 174C is obtained. This is a yield of 90 percent of the theory, based on dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene malonic dianilide used.

EXAMPLE 4 1.06 parts of dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene acetanilide, 20 parts of aniline and 15 parts of aniline hydrochloride are heated at the boil for 3 minutes in an atmosphere of nitrogen. The excess aniline is distilled off at 10 mm Hg and the residue recrystallized from dilute hydrochloric acid. 8.5 parts of a-anili'no-acetanilide hydrochloride of the melting point 216C is obtained. The

yield is 65 percent of the theory, based on dimethyloxo-sulfurylene acetanilide used.

EXAMPLE 5 EXAMPLE 6 4.22 parts of dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene acetanilide, 40 parts of freshly distilled acrylonitrile and 40 parts of methanol are heated under reflux for 45 minutes. The readily volatile constituents are distilled off. The residue is taken up in 200 parts of benezene, washed with 300 parts of water in three portions, and the benezene extract is concentrated and dissolved in and reprecipitated from cyclohexane and ethyl acetate. 2.02 parts of crystalline y-methoxy-y-carbanilino-a,wdicyanopentane of the melting point 82C is obtained. The yield is 40 percent of the theory, based on dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene acetanilide.

AnalySiSf CmHnNgOz Calculated: C 66.5% H 6.5% N 15.5% 11.8% Found: C 66.5% H 6.3% N 15.2% 0 12.3%

EXAMPLE 7 4.22 parts of dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene acetanilide, parts of methyl iodide and 500 parts of methanol are kept at 20C for 100 hours. The methanol is then distilled off at subatmospheric pressure (20C/l0 mm Hg) and the residue is recrystallized from methanol diluted with water. 2.15 parts of a-iodopropionic anilide of the boiling point 131C is obtained. The yield is 39 percent of the theory, based on dimethyl-oxo-sulfurylene acetanilide used.

EXAMPLE 8 44 parts of trimethyl-oxo-sulfonium iodide and 5.34 parts of 90 percent sodium hydride are dissolved in 400 parts of dimethyl sulfoxide. A solution of dimethyl-0x0- sulfonium methylide is thus obtained in which 29.2 parts of methyl benzoate is quickly added. The mixture ist stirred for 80 hours at 25C. The reaction mixture, which is then neutral, is freed from sodium benzoate by filtration. 14.5 parts of trimethyl-oxo-sulfonium iodide is precipitated from the filtrate with acetone and ethyl acetate and filtered off by suction. The solvents are removed from the filtrate by distillation under reduced pressure and 5.05 parts of a-benzoxy-ethyl-phenyl ketone of the melting point 106C is obtained by extraction of the residue with ethanol. The yield is 40 percent of the theory, based on trimethyl-oxo-sulfonium iodide.

EXAMPLE 9 242 parts of 8,8-diphenyl-acetyl-sulfonium methylide, 142 parts of benzenesulfinic acid, 10 parts of p-tol-uenesulfonic acid and 1,000 parts of methanol are stirred for hours at 50C. The solution is concentrated and cooled and the crude reaction product is filtered off by suction. By dissolution in and reprecipitation from ethanol parts i of phenylsulfonyl acetone of the melting point 57 to 58C is obtained.

EXAMPLE 10 118 parts of 6,8-dimethyl-acetyl-sulfonium methylide, 192 parts of oz-naphthylsulfinic acid, 10 parts of oxalic and 2,000 parts of tetrahydrofuran are stirred for 100 hours under reflux. The solvent is then removed and the residue consisting of 270 parts is dissolved in and reprecipitated from ethyl acetate. Acetonylanaphthyl sulfone of the melting point 65C is obtained.

In an analogous manner benzyl phenacyl sulfone of the melting point 89C (sample recrystallized from ethanol) is obtained in a 60 percent yield from 8,8-dimeth- 'yl-benzoyl-oxo-sulfonium methylide and benzylsulfinic acid in the presence of fluoboric acid and using benezene as solvent.

By using 8,5-diphenyl-carboethoxy-sulfonium methylide, and equivalent amounts of hydrogen chloride and benzenesulfinic acid, the ethyl ester of phenyl sulfonyl acetate of the melting point 45C is obtained (recrystallized from benzene).

Ethyl sulfonyl acetamide, melting point 99C (recrystallized from alkanol), is obtained from 5-ethyl-6- phenyl-carbamoyl-sulfonium methylide, ethylsulfinic acid and phosphoric acid when using tetramethylene sulfone as solvent.

EXAMPLE 1 l 148 parts of 6,8-dimethyl-carboethoxy-sulfonium methylide, 154 parts of diethyl sulfate and 1,000 parts of acetonitrile are stirred for 2 hours. 164 parts of sodium benzenesulfinate is thenadded and the whole heated for 10 hours at 80C. The solvent is removed and the residue recrystallized from petroleum ether. 203 parts of the ethyl ester of a-phenyl sulfonyl butyric acid of the melting point 63 to 64C is obtained.

EXAMPLE 12 1 19 parts of 8,6-diethyl-N-phenyl-carbamoylsulfonium methylide is heated to 60C in 1,000 parts of dimethylsulfoxide together with 84 parts of trifluoroacetic acid and hydrogen sulfide at a pressure of 5 atmospheres gauge. The reaction mixture is poured on to ice and the crude product, which is slightly smeary, is filtered off with suction and recrystallized from methanol. 60 parts of thioglycolic acid anilide of the melting point 1 1 1C is obtained.

The N-methylthioglycolic acid anilide of the melting point 143C is obtained in an analogous manner.

EXAMPLE 13 By using n-propyl mercaptan instead of hydrogen sulfide and otherwise proceeding as described in Example 12, 72 parts of n-propylmercaptoaceticanilide of the melting point 57C is obtained. The reaction mixture is poured on to ice and the product preferably extracted with ether.

EXAMPLE 14 parts of 8,8-dimethyl-benzoyl-sulfonium methylide, 10 parts of p-toluenesulfonic acid and 124 EXAMPLE 15 A suspension of 209 parts of 8,6-dimethyl-N-methyl N-phenylcarbamoyl-sulfonium methylide in 500 parts of water which contains 46 parts of formic acid is stirred with 100 parts of ammonium thiocyanate for 36 hours. By extracting with methylene chloride, drying the solution, removing the solvent and recrystallizing from ethanol 170 parts of a-thiocyanoacetic acid-N- methyl anilide is obtained which melts at 79C.

a-thiocyanoacetic acid-p-toluidide melting at 126C is obtained in an analogous manner.

EXAMPLE 16 EXAMPLE l7 1 18 parts of 8,8-dimethyl-acetyl sulfonium methylide and 200 parts of formic acid are heated for 10 hours under reflux. The liquid reaction mixture is then fractionally distilled. 60 parts of acetonyl for mate melting at 169C is obtained.

EXAMPLE 18 220 parts of 8,fi-dimethyl-N-phenyl-carbamoyl-oxosulfonium methylide and 84 parts of trifluoroacetic acid are stirred at 60C with 80 parts of sodium nitrite in 500 parts of dimethyl sulfoxide. After 12 hours the reaction mixture is stirred into ice water and the precipitate is filtered off by suction. 139 parts of nitroacetanilide, melting point 139C, is obtained.

EXAMPLE 19 242 parts of 8,8-diphenyl-acetyl-sulfonium methylide and 172 parts of methyl benzene sulfonate are mixed intensely for one hour with 200 parts of acetonitrile. Then 65 parts of potassium cyanide is added and the reaction mixture is heated to 80C with intense agitation. After 10 hours the mixture is filtered with suction, washed with ether and the filtrate distilled. The fraction boiling at 145 to 148C is 2-cyanobutanone-3.

EXAMPLE 20 148 parts of 8,8 -dimethyl-carboethoxy-sulfonium methylide and 106 parts of cyanogen bromide are stirred for 8 hours in 2000 parts of ether. The ether is distilled off and 150 parts of the ethyl ester of a-bromocyanoacetic acid is obtained.

EXAMPLE 21 V 196 parts of 8,S-dimethyl-dicarboethoxy-sulfonium methylide, 172 parts of p-toluenesulfonic acid and 213 parts of barium nitrite are stirred at 25C for hours in 1,800 parts of methanol. The mixture is concentrated, the residue washed with ether and the dimethyl nitro malonate is extracted and subsequently fractionated at 10 mm Hg at 122 EXAMPLE 22 1 18 parts of 8,8-dimethyl-acetyl-oxo-sulfoniurn methylide is heated under reflux together with 800 parts of methacrylonitrile and 800 parts of ethanol until evolution of dimethyl sulfide ceases. The lowboiling constituents are distilled off under subatmospheric pressure and an oily residue is obtained which by infrared spectroscopy can be shown to contain a keto group, a nitrile group and an ether group. Pure 2,6-dicyano-4-ethoxy-4-acetylheptane is obtained chromatographically on aluminum oxide as a colorless oil.

Analysis: C13H20N2O2(236) Calculatedi C65.2% H 8.5% N 11.9% 0 13.6%

Found: C 64.8% H 8.2% N 12.4% 0 14.0%

2,4-dimethyl-3-benzoyl-3-n-butoxypentane-1,5-

dicarboxylic acid-di-n-butyl ester is obtained as a pale yellow oil in an analogous manner from 8,8-dimethyl-ben2oyl-sulfonium methylide, n-butyl cro tonate and n-butanol.

Analysis: C H O (476) Calculated: C 70.7% H 9.3% 20.2%

Found: C 70.5% H 9.5% O 20.8%

EXAMPLE 23 284 parts of 8,fi-dimethyl-dibenzoyl-sulfonium methylide is heated to 80C while adding first an an equivalent amount of dimethyl sulfate and then an equivalent amount of sodium phenolate in 1,000 parts of methylene sulfone. The solvent is removed at subatmospheric pressure. Phenoxydibenzoylethane is obtained as a viscous pale yellow oil.

Analysis: C H O (330) Calculated: C 80.1% H 5.5% O 16.6% FoundzC 79.7% H 5.8% O 17.0%.

The following compounds are also obtained by the process according to the present invention: a-iododibenzoylmethane, m. p. 107C.

Thioglycolic acid-a-naphthylarnide, mp. 128C.

Benzylmercapto acetone, b. p. C.

Methylmercapto acetanilide, m. p. 74C.

Nitro acetone, m. p. 49C.

Ethyl cyano acetate, b. p. 98C. (18 mm).

n-butylmercapto propionamide, m. p. 65C.

Thiocyano acetanilide, m. p. 86C.

Methyl n-butyloxy acetate, b. p. C.

Ethyl a[4-pyridoyl]-a-iodo propionate, m. p. 63C.

Lactic anilide, m. p. 58C.

We claim:

1. y-methoxy-y-carbanilino-a,w-dicyanopentane.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Q PATENT NO. 3,821,277

DATED June 28, 1974 iNVENTOm) I Horst Koenig et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent b are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Heading, insert 30) Foreign Application Priority Data October 30, 1964 Germany P 12 26 562.2, October 30, 1964 Germany P 12 26 563.3 and October 30, 1964 Q Germany B 79 140 IVb-12O Y Signed and Scaled this Twenty-third Day Of Novembcr19 76 [SEALl' Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner oj'larenrs and Trademarks 

